Busy, busy, busy....

getting the shop blog all ready to go in the morning! Pop over and take a look....here! We are launching with a fab challenge at 9am-ish in the morning. Each challenge will have a winner picked at random so please, please, please do have a go....we are really looking forward to seeing what you all create!

Today see's the current issue of Quick & Crafty! hitting the stands...I have a project in there using some delicious papers by Scrapworks called Season of Joy. These papers will be uploaded to the shop over weekend when I get a spare second or two to spare!!! We will also be putting together a limited edition christmas kit using these gorgeous papers...hoping that will be ready by next weekend!

Here's sneaky peeky of the papers and a card that's in the magazine!

Update on Tilly....well Tilly has been settling in well so far...she's met all her new doggy friends and has been on 3 walks through the woods!!! Unfortunately she has also broken a very expensive crystal candlestick whilst bounding around the house!!! Ah well........

Right i'm off to bed now as I have a busy day ahead again! Will update in the morning with the very first Scrummy Stash Cafe blog challenge!

Nighty night

Maria x

Such a bad blogger!!!

I truly am! I promise myself that I will blog regularly and life just seems to get in the way. However I'm not going to dwell in the reasons why I haven't blogged for so long....they are just sooo boring! So lets just pretend that I haven't missed out a whole month and carry on as normal ;)

Today has been great! I travelled down to South Yorkshire with my friend Karen to pick up her new dog from the labrador rescue place there. She is called Tilly, is a whole year old and absolutely adorable. Do you believe in love at first sight? Well I certainly do after today!!! When they first brought Tilly out to meet us she was very nervous but overcame that in about....oh....30 seconds and then was all over us! She has the sweetest nature and has obviously come from a very loving home.

So here she is! Gorgeous or what? Just check out those amazing big brown eyes....oh and she has fab ginger eyelashes to match her silky ears and the tip of her tail!

Karen and Tilly getting to know each other!

We took her for a good walk in some nearby woods before setting off for the journey north. There she met loads of other dogs and a couple of horses and wasn't bothered in the slightest....pretty amazing considering that she basically was with 2 strangers! On our walk through the woods we spotted these amazing fungi!

The journey home was pretty uneventful with Tilly snoozing happily....so a good day all round!

On the shop and work front things are going great! We are having a good old clear out to make way for new goodies so go grab yourself a bargain here! Our Chalk Garden card kit is flying out with only a handful left! I did an article for Quick & Crafty magazine using these papers and they popped in on their website which was a bit of a shock to say the least.....must change that photo!!!

I have plenty more deadline to keep me busy for the magazine and am thoroughly enjoying creating for them once again!

Saturday sees the launch of our shop blog (will post a link tomorrow ;)) We are celebrating the launch of the blog (and our shops' 6 month birthday!) with a whole months worth of challenges. Right on that note...I had better get back to working my way through my infamous list!!!

Bye for Now

Maria x

Just a quicky!!!

Thought I would update this afternoon as am going out tonight and won't get a chance later on!

Not having a very productive day....in fact not managing to get much done at all! Starting stuff but not finishing....I do sometimes have days like this and they are usually followed by really productive ones so heres hoping!!!!

Managed to get music on my blog last night and had great fun compiling my playlist!

No scrapping or crafty pics today so thought I would share this pic of my neighbours cat.....so meet Mitch! Very lovable and needs to be cuddled lots....oh and talks non stop LOL!!

Right thats me for today....will hopefully be back tomorrow with some scrapping to share.

Have fun!

Maria x

Life Begins at 40!!!!

Yup and I hit the big 40 last thursday!!! A huge, huge thank you to everyone who sent cards, e-cards (love em!!!), pressies etc... they really did make my day ever so special :) I had the best time and the partying went on all weekend so its taking me a while to recover LOL!!!

Life has been really hectic with shop stuff to sort and new ventures in the planning so haven't had a great deal of time to scrap unfortunately :( We are in the process of setting up our shop blog! We are planning loads of activities and challenges for you all plus updates on products etc. Samm is chief blog builder as I am a bit rubbish at doing stuff like that! So a huge big thank you to her!

This is a layout I did a week or so ago using some of the "Thelma and Louise" type pics that Anita Mundt took of us! We laughed so much when they were being taken as we were in a car park in Wigan and getting loads of strange looks from passing folks! I have used Love Elsie Roxie papers from our kit.

I have spent today drawing up a things that I must do list!!! First on the list is update my blog regularly LOL!!! Next comes scrap at least 3 layouts a week....now I know that this doesn't seem much but when I'm busy I just can't find the time which is very frustrating...which leads me to item three....structure my day more efficiently!!! While I can dream can't I?

Did this lo for a weekly challenge on UKS. I adore this photograph of Kim taken by Anita and I think it works so well with the gorgoeus Scenic Route Laurel papers!

And finally I'll leave you with another weekly challenge LO on UKS.....

My sister will no doubt kill me for this....but hey! She did steal my lolly!! (and I've never let her forget it!)

New kits are up in the shop..... Mellow and Pheripery and I am in love with them both...can't wait to start playing!!!!

Well thats all for tonight....except to say huge healing hugs to Gillian who is poorly at the moment :(

Maria x

Long time no blog....again!

Well i have had one heck of a busy week and therefore no time to blog....again! Think I'm getting over my post holiday blues! Although having said that the weather today up here has been just awful....really cold (jumper and heating on!!) and rain...lots of it with wind added in for good measure!

Have managed to get another magazine article out the way and 2 in progress! And I have been scrapping!!!! Have done a couple of layouts for UKS weekly challenges and some shop samples with our gorgeous Princess card kit....

I just love this layout of my fabby friend Gillian!! She really is a water babe.....you can see by the smile on her face how happy she is (Oh and I should add that this pic was taken around 2 in the morning after a whole load of cocktails and an impromptu dip in the hotel pool!!!!)

Well Thursday see me turning 40!!!! That can't be right....can it? How come I only feel about 25? Have a whole heap of birthday celebrations planned from meals with friends to party nights that I am sure will last til the early hours!

Will post more layouts the next time I post....am not promising when that will be though!!!!

Take Care all

Hugs Maria x

Oh and well done Anna on your run.....the girl did good!!!!!

Oh Dear....

Got a bad case of the post holiday blues today!! However have managed to keep myself pretty busy and the day has passed quickly. Today is my dearest, dearest friend Karen's birthday.... so have spent this evening making her a card and wrapping her pressies! I am going round there tomorrow night for pizza and girly chat :) Having said that....I really shouldn't be eating pizza as I have put on quite a bit of weight....ah well....the diet can start on Monday (that way i get a good day on Sunday too!!!)

Here's another photo taken by the very talented Anita Mundt...

Love this one...how dreamy do I look?!

Have been sorting out bits and pieces for our crop today....I am teaching a layout class which I hope the ladies will enjoy. Just got the shop to pack up in the morning and I'm good to go! Our crop is just a short one, 1pm-4pm and the time just flies by!

Here's a sneak peek of the layout we'll be making....

I have scrapped another Anita photo!!!

Ok well that's about it for tonight....not very chatty! Will pop tomorrow with more layouts and cards. Have a great weekend all.

Hugs Maria x

I'm back!!!

Ok I know that I haven't blogged for yonks but life just has a habit of getting in the way of things! And I don't want to bore you all with my ups and downs so thought I had better wait a bit before blogging again...

Lots have happened since my last post... got my pics back from Anita and they are just gorgeous :)

This is one of my favs....will bore you all with some of the others over the next couple of days!

Been asked to start contributing to Quick & Crafty! magazine again! I used to write for them pretty regularly but what with setting up the shop etc I just kind of ran out of time.So I am now armed with a list of deadlines and my first article is in the November issue.

Last week saw me sunning myself and partying on the gorgeous island of Kefalonia with my bud Kim. We had a ball and were heartbroken when it all had to end :( I managed to catch up with old friends and made a few new friends into the bargain too!


Kefalonia has a large English population and one of our old neighbours now lives out there...so no doubt we will be knocking on his door during the cold winter months!

Will leave you with a photo of the beach in Skala at night....

Will be back tomorrow with more news!

Hugs Maria x